Nut-lock.



. JLK. WEDGWORTH.

NUT LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 1909.

Patented Oct. 18,1910.

STA

NUT-LOCK.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN K. WEoGwoRTH, acltizen of the United States, residing at Cuba, in the county of Sumterand State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Nut-Locks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in nut locks.

' The object of the invention is to provide a nut lock having animproved construction and arrangement of locking mechanism and means tohold the latter in operative position thus preventing the unscrewing ofthe nut from the bolt.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists ofcertain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view partly in sectionof a nut lock constructed in accordance with my inven tion; Fig. 2 is across section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking toward the washer plate;Fig. 3 is a detail view of the locking pin: Fig. 4 is an end view of theinner end of the nut; and Fig. 5 is a similar view of the outer end.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes a bolt in oneside of the threaded portion of which is formed a longitudinallydisposed groove 2 having an abrupt side wall or square shoulder 3. Onthe bolt 1 is arranged a washer plate 4, this washer plate having apassage of suflicient size to fit loosely over the bolt and in one sideof the passage in the washer plate is formed a substantially V-shapedlug 5. The lug 5 is beveled on one side and provided with an abrupt wallor square shoulder on its opposite side as shown. When the washer platetis in position on the bolt, the lug 5 slidably engages the groove 2 inthe bolt and when so engaged the square shoulder on the lug engages thesquare shoulder or wall 3 of the groove and thus prevents the washerturning on the bolt.

On the bolt 1 is screwed a nut 6 in one corner of which is formed alongitudinal Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 22, 1909.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

Serial No. 529,401.

passage or bore 7. The outer portion of the passage 7 is preferably ofrectangular shape while the inner portion is substantially cylindricaland is of greater diameter than the outer portion of the passage thusforming a shoulder 8, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.Slidably mounted in the passage 7 is a lock-pin 9, said pin having anenlarged cylindrical inner portion 10 and a reduced rectangular outerportion 11. The rectangular outer portion of the locking pin engages therectangular portion of the passage in the nut while the cylindricalinner portion of the pin engages the cylindrical portion of the passage.In one side of the pin 9 adjacent to its inner end is formed a recess 12which provides a shoulder 13. After the pin has been inserted in thepassage in the nut, the edge of the material forming the wall of thepassage at the inner side or end of the nut and opposite to the recessedportion of the pin is upset or struck in to form a retaining bur lt,which projects into the passage 7 and forms a stop which is adapted tobe engaged by the shoulder 13 at the inner end of the recessed portionof the locking pin thereby preventing said pin from dropping entirelyout of the passage in the bolt.

The locking pin 9 is preferably provided with a coiled projecting spring15, which is arranged on the reduced portion of the pin between theshoulder 8 of the passage 7 and the inner end of the enlarged portion ofthe pin as shown. l/Vhile I preferably employ a spring for automaticallyforcing the locking pin beyond the inner end of the nut, it is obviousthat the spring may be dispensed with and the locking pin grasped by itsouter end and manipulated by hand. On the inner end of the locking pinand preferably opposite to the recessed portion of said end is formed alaterally projecting stop lug 16, which when the projecting inner end ofthe pin is pushed or forced laterally to a slight extent in thedirection of said lug, the latter will be engaged with the inner side orend of the nut and will thus prevent the locking pin from being forcedinwardly. It will thus be seen that the lug 16 prevents the locking pinfrom being casually retracted and positively holds said pin in positionto lock the nut as will be hereinafter described.

The inner end of the locking pin 9 is.

preferably beveled in one direction as shown and said beveled end isadapted to be brought into engagement with beveled or ratchet shapednotches 17 formed in the inner side of the washer plate or fish plate,

or other surface against which the nut is to be screwed. WVhen the nutis screwed inwardly on the bolt, the beveled inner end of the lockingpin will slide over the adjacent surface of the washer plate or fishplate and when said end comes opposite to the notches 17 in said plate,the spring when used, will force the pin inwardly into the notches. Whenthe pin is thus engaged with the notches any retrograde or unscrewingmovement of the nut will bring the square surface of the recessedportion 12 of the locking pin into engagement with the square shoulderof the notch thus preventing the unscrewing of the nut. When the innerend of the locking pin is thus engaged with the nut any tendency of thenut to unscrew would press the end of the locking pin against the squarewall of the nut, thus tilting or moving the end of the locking pinlaterally to a slight extent, thus bringing the stop lug 16 on the outerend of the pin over or into engagement with the inner end of the nut,thus positively preventing the retraction of the locking pin, thusholding the nut in place on the bolt.

WVhen it is desired to unscrew the nut from the bolt, the nut must firstbe turned to a slight extent in the direction for serewing the nut onthe bolt, which movement of the nut will bring the beveled outer end ofthe pin into engagement with the inclined wall of the notch 1-7, whichengagement will have a tendency to tilt or push the inner end of thelocking pin back, thus disengaging the stop lug 16 on the end of the pinfrom the adjacent end or surface of the nut, thereby permitting the pinto be retracted by grasping the outer end of the pin with the fingers ora suitable implement thus permitting the nut to be unscrewed from thebolt.

While I have herein shown and described the use of a washer plate 4 inwhich are formed the ratchet notches 17 to receive the inner end of thelocking pin, it is obvious that when the bolts are used in connectionwith new fish plates or other surfaces in which the ratchet notches maybe formed, said washer plates may be dispensed with as may also thelongitudinal grooving of the bolt.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invent-ionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a nut look, a bolt, a nut adapted to be screwed thereon, a springprojected locking pin arranged in said nut, a nut engaging surfacehaving formed therein a series of ratchet notches adapted to receive theproj ect-ing inner end of the locking pin, means to prevent the pin fromdropping out of the nut and a stop lug formed on the inner projectingend of the locking pin and adapted to be engaged with the inner end ofthe nut to hold said pin in a projected position.

2. In a nut lock, a bolt, having formed therein a longitudinal groove, anut adapted to be screwed on said bolt, a washer plate arranged on thebolt and having formed in its outer side a series of ratchet notches, abeveled lug arranged in said washer plate and adapted to engage thegroove in said bolt whereby the washer plate is held against turning onthe bolt, a spring projected locking pin arranged in said nut, said pinhaving a beveled inner end adapted to be engaged with the bevelednotches in said washer plate, a laterally projecting stop lug formed onone side of the inner end ofsaid locking pin, said lug being adapted tobe brought into engagement with the inner end of the bolt when the innerend of said locking pin is brought into engagement with the squaresurface of said ratchet notches thereby holding said locking pin inprojected position and the nut lock on the bolt.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN K. WVEDGWVORTI-I.

IVitnesses:

A. J. McELRoY, J. M. MCELROY.

